Quick and easy pea and ham soup, made with fresh or frozen peas and your favourite choice of ham. A filling and nutritious midweek meal or easy starter for your next dinner party, ready in just 15 minutes.
Gradually add the stock whilst continuing to stir.
500 ml veg stock
Add the frozen peas then simmer for 2-3 minutes until cooked through.
400 g frozen garden peas
Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the soup to a blender. Blitz until smooth (alternatively use a hand blender).
Return the soup to the pan, once warmed through check consistency, taste and season. Then add the ham, crème fraîche and mint leaves and mix in well. Serve with extra ham, crème fraîche and mint leaves.
Sea salt and pepper to season, 125 g of your favourite choice of ham or gammon, 1 tablespoon crème fraîche, Handful fresh mint leaves
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Notes
Ham: Choose wafer thin or thick cut ham, which ever you prefer. This recipe is perfect for using up any leftover ham thats about to go out of date. Or why not try with gammon.Crème fraîche: Crème fraîche is used here to add a slight creaminess to the soup without making it too rich, however it is completely optional. Alternatively use plain yogurt or soured cream.Mint: Chopped mint is the perfect partner to this soup and adds a lovely freshness to the sweet peas, but again this is an optional extra.Stock: Use good quality stock, both vegetable or a meat based stock will work well.Frozen peas: To get this meal on the table within 15 minutes I always opt for frozen peas. Frozen peas are a great veg to have handy in the freezer. Just add directly to the soup and cook for a couple of minutes. So easy! Vegetarian version: For a veggie version of this recipe just leave out the ham or alternatively try my Tuscan Ribollita Soup, Leek and Potato Soup or Cauliflower Soup.How to store? Once made this soup can be stored in the fridge or freezer. Simply wait for the soup to fully cool then transfer to a sealable container. Seal and store in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze for up to one month. To reheat defrost in the fridge overnight (if frozen) then transfer to a pan and gently heat until piping hot throughout.How do you thicken pea and ham soup? This recipe uses flour as a thickening agent, which is added at the start of the recipe. The stock is gradually stirred in, allowing the flour to cook out and create a thick sauce.How do you make soup thinner? If you find the soup to be too thick once its been blended, it can be thinned down by adding a ladle of water. Stir in the water and keep adding small amounts of water until happy with the consistency.